In tenth grade advisement classes students received practice test booklets for the upcoming PSAT. The PSAT, like the SAT, is produced by the College Board, an organization that prepares tests used in college admissions. “(Testing administrators) do work with the College Board to make sure we have enough tests,” Testing Coordinator Marie Yuran said. “We have to submit an order for how many tests that we’re gonna need, if we need any tests with accommodations, we’re gonna have to submit that.”
By KATY MAYFIELD – Print News Editor
On Oct. 14 Clarke Central High School will administer the PSAT to sophomores and juniors.
On Oct. 14 all sophomores and participating juniors will take the Practice SAT, a five-section test similar in material to the SAT, but shorter in length and with a smaller score metric.
“I took it sophomore year,” junior Mary Frances Jones said. “I recommend taking it. It was really good practice for the SAT.”
All sophomores are automatically registered for the PSAT. Juniors, however, may pay a $15 fee to take the test.
“They (sign up for the PSAT) through the counselor on duty at lunches and those kinds of things. And (teachers have) publicized that, I know, through the announcements we’ve had here already, and I’m sure there’s something in advisement program as well,” Testing Coordinator Marie Yuran said.
The PSAT, while used as a practice tool for sophomores, can lead to scholarships for juniors in the form of the National Merit Scholarship, given to top junior scorers on the PSAT.
“I think that the only reason juniors really need to take the PSAT is if you’re gonna qualify for National Merit,” junior Madeline Jenkins said.
Sophomores such as John Anderson, however, say that the scholarship possibilities aren’t enough to interest students.
“I think that (students) are only concerned with what will affect their grades or them moving to the next grade, and since (the PSAT) won’t most people are not taking it seriously,” Anderson said.
Yuran says administering the PSAT is a schoolwide effort.
“We do a lot of testing, so it really is a team effort with the whole administration. Everybody has a role. So the day of, many of us serve as hall monitors, making sure kids are getting to where they’re supposed to go and those kinds of things,” Yuran said.
During the 2014-15 school year PSAT testing was held in the West Wing and SAT testing in the main building, but Yuran says construction has complicated finding test locations.
“We would host (the SAT) previously here at Clarke Central but not now due to construction,” Yuran said. “Right now (assistant principal) Mr. Thomas and (counselor) Ms. Underwood are working on the behind-the-scenes sort of things like identifying locations in the building and those sorts of things.”
